Free State police are searching for a fourth suspect in the murder of a Bainsvlei farmer who was found hanged in a storeroom last month, police said on Tuesday.
"The serious and violent crimes unit in Bloemfontein was still looking for Ndleleni Samuel Mbobe," Inspector Loraine Kalp said.
Mbobe is wanted in connection with the murder of Flip Heyneke, 50, who was found by his family tied up and hanged in a storeroom on his farm at Bainsvlei outside Bloemfontein on June 21.

Annelize Viljoen and Johmar van Zijl want to emigrate. They will stay only if crime levels drop. They do not feel safe in their own country - where "the Constitution is just a piece of paper with no effect in real life".
Viljoen, Van Zijl and Andries Pretorius fell victim to five men who attacked and robbed them three months ago.Pretorius fought off the robbers, who nevertheless escaped with goods worth thousands of rands. He is on anti-retrovirals after being bitten and scratched by the robbers, and receives counselling.
Three months later the scars of the bite marks are still visible on his body, and the robbers still free.

The government is breaking its promise to protect citizens' constitutional rights, including their right to freedom and security.

This is the belief of the Cullinan farming community, left reeling after a spate of cruel and violent attacks.

Victims of four separate incidents are claiming more than R200 000 in compensation from President Thabo Mbeki and the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula for losses due to crime.

Louis Meintjes, chairperson of the Cullinan District Farmers' Union, which co-ordinates the claims, said: "The State is responsible for the safety of its citizens. If a service is not delivered, a client can withhold payment. Can we withhold our tax money until the State protects us?"

Ronel Cronje is claiming R15 000 a month from Mbeki. Her husband was killed by robbers recently. Her letter states that he was the breadwinner and that the amount claimed is to maintain the standard of living the family had before his murder.

Andries Pretorius and the two people who were attacked with him are claiming R78 155,88 for their losses.

A third claimant, George Lourens, wants R16 970 for the loss of a bakkie and equipment, while the fourth, Henry Chapman, is claiming R105 455 to replace stolen equipment.

"This is a new struggle for freedom... a struggle for a crime-free South Africa," the letters state.

The claims, instituted two months ago, have not been acknowledged by the recipients yet, the victims say.

Bloemfontein - Free State farmers on Friday said violent crimes in rural areas were racially motivated and that in every farm attack the criminals were black.

The farmers told journalists in Bloemfontein they were considering taking the government to court for its failure to provide a safe environment for them in the province's rural areas.

"Crime in all forms is busy ruining the Free State," said Kobus Breytenbach, spokesperson for the farming body's law and order committee.

"These criminal activities in rural areas are unbearable for residents."

Breytenbach said three farm murders and five attacks in relation to robbery were committed in nine of province's districts in the past two months.

Breytenbach said the increase of violent crimes on commercial farmers in rural areas was clearly racist in nature.

'Criminals are black'

"In every farm attack the criminals are black. This trend promotes racial tension and racial hatred."

Breytenbach said the trend must be stopped before things got out of hand.

Even a black upcoming farmer in the Steynsrus region was among those murdered, according to Breytenbach. "(Committing)... .crime is not a shame anymore."

Louw Steytler, president of Free State Agriculture, said: "We have forwarded the contents of statistics of criminality and farm murders in the confines of our province for a legal opinion in regard to a possible class action against the state,"

Steytler said they felt the government was neglecting its duty in regard to the safety and security of farmers in general.

The farming body said there was a silence from the authorities - from municipal level to the President's office - on the increase of violence and crime , and that this was worrying.

"Government leaders on all levels should on a continuous basis strongly condemn attacks, murders and crime," said Breytenbach.

"The brutality and ill-treatment of victims must also be condemned."

Breytenbach said the police's concept of sector policing in Free State rural areas was way behind and needed urgent attention.

Although referring to 'excellent' police work in catching criminals after farm attacks, Breytenbach said the province nevertheless needed more pro-active crime prevention operations urgently.

Steytler said although the state had "miserably failed" agriculture in terms of safety and security the farming community was willing to work with government to address the problem.

Johannesburg - Three armed men killed a man in full view of his children after torturing him at the family's home in Swartruggens, North West police said on Thursday.

Frans Paulus Pieterse, 45, his wife Daleen, 33, and their two children Gideon, 10, and three-year-old Anushka were asleep when three men broke the main bedroom window at 21:00 on Wednesday, spokesperson Elsabe Augostides said.

"The suspects entered through the main bedroom window. They tied up Mr Pieterse and cut his forehead with a sharp object," Augostides said.

The men then allegedly poured boiling water over Pieterse before strangling him with shoe laces in full view of his children.

DVD, TV stolen

"His wife sustained two knife wounds in the left leg and Gideon suffered bruises to his face."

The trio made off with a television and a DVD player around 01:00 on Thursday morning.

Augostides said they then allegedly attempted to break into another house in the neighbourhood.

"Fortunately Johan Labushagne and his wife were awakened by the noise and called the police."

Police responding to the Pieterse incident rushed to the Labuschagne home and found the three men. Two of them managed to escape by jumping over a wall.

The 19-year-old man who was arrested would appear in the Swartruggens magistrate's court soon.